FOIA Main

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), enacted in 1966, generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except for those records that are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions or three exclusions of the FOIA. This right of access is enforceable in court.

This Service Center was designed to assist the public in making Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for HQ U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) records. The information obtained herein is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive. The FOIA, which is known by its legal cite as Title 5 U.S.C. § 552, along with the Department of Defense (DOD) Manual 5400.07, “DOD Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program” (effective January 25, 2017), governs how requests will be processed within SOUTHCOM. Because SOUTHCOM must comply with national security laws, some documents or parts of documents may be exempt from release.